Uproar as Mississippi signs bill to limit discussions of race in school lessons – By Guardian staff and agencies (The Guardian) / March 14, 2022
Bill signed by Republican governor sparks opposition from Black lawmakers who say it will quash debate on racism’s harmful effects
Mississippi’s governor signed a bill on Monday to limit how race can be discussed in classrooms, marking the latest move in a Republican-driven battle over “critical race theory”, an academic framework that examines how racism has shaped US public policy and institutions.
The Mississippi bill has sparked opposition from Black lawmakers, who have said its passage could squelch honest discussion about the harmful effects of racism.
The short title of senate bill 2113 says it would prohibit “critical race theory”. But the main text of the legislation does not mention or define the theory, and many supporters of the bill also have said they cannot define it.
Tate Reeves, the state’s Republican governor, has denied the bill is an attempt to limit the teaching of history. “Contrary to what some critics may claim, this bill in no way, in no shape and in no form prohibits the teaching of history,” Reeves said in a video posted on social media
